Driving mechanism



y/ Feb. 19, 1935. J. w, ARMOUR 1,991,441

Y DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Oct. :51, 1932 Z She etS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E77. 1- JqgEs WAHMoL/R ATTORNEY Feb."19, 1935. J. w. ARMOUR DRIVING MECHANISM 2 Sfieets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1932 4 1 v 71 a w \\\\\&

. INVENTOR JAMES W ARMOUR AT'II'ORNEY Patented Feb. 19, 1935 James W. Armour; Woroester, Mass., assignor ty Stoker. Corporation; Worcester, Mass 'a.

corporationof Massachusetts Application October 31,

. inventionrelates to "driving mechanisms,

and more particularly to :a, mechanism for 'p gg; .Several strokes ofthe pawl are necessaryto give a complete revolution of the ratchet, so that continuous actuation of the. driven member is not jpossible'. Furthermore, the only adjoetm en-t isa I I .partioularly adapted for driving .the reciprocable manuahpositioning of the pawl; shield, and the .20 oonstructionis not adaptable to automatic conmi: Ia- M H ,In. order to. overcom these-difiiculties, it has beentproposed to hold the clutch out of engagemen't liymeansof alatclra'nd to release the latch 25 at predetermined intervals bymeans of :astraight line frietion'ratchet, boththe rate elf-advance of jthe ratchetand its total travel being adjustable.

fWhile this construction has certainoperating ad- V vantages, it is-lcomplicated and expensive tomangowiifactnre; andhas in some cases been foundun- .reliable inoperatio'n; a e v l .It'is ae'cordingly oneobje'ct of the invention to Ifprovide. a simple,[inexpensive and reliablemeoh- 5 lb'er at predetermined intervals} v 1 v .iIt'f a further object of the invention to provide a mechanism of this type including amamially operable device which will permit continuous ao- .tuat'ionofthedriven memberwhendesired with- 40 Tout afiecting the normal adjustrnentof the mech- Itisaiurther object of the invention toprovide a driving mechanism in which the rate of actuation of the driven member may :be, controlled .45 either automatically. :or manuallythe parts being Isohoristructed and arranged that thecontrol inay beleasilvand simply shifted from one formto the h r 150 'a simple means .for varying manually the rate of eumonm. the driven member for a .g'i'venposi j ofthe automatic controlrnechaniem.

.. ",With theseand otherobjects in 'iew, as will be i932, Serial negi'slioms .4'Claims. (o1. '14 +i24).-@a-

t emil tants attered by thelclaizns' a pendedheretd b ,Beferring tolthe drawings illiistrating'one em- .bddimentof the'inventiemand in which like jreiger'er'iee numeralsfindieate like parts, 1 v 5 'Fig. .li'is a sid elevation of a, driving mechanism, the'cover plate'and associated parts being" removed Fig. 2 is a sectidn on theline 2-2 ofFig; l;

Fig.3 .is a section'onthe line 3 3 of Fig. l, with 10 the cover. plate and a'ssociated parts in place; a

IL'Fig. Q4, a. sidefele'vation of the mechanism,

pari ily, I broken a ay for clearness of illustration;

, "Figfdis' a perep eetiveV-iew 01"an. adjustable Fig. sis mam onthe1ine6+6ofFigl3;fand

Fig. 7 is a View 'on'the line-7+7 'ofFig. i In the drawings I have shown'atmechanism.

fuel feeding ramof an underfeed Stoker." The ranged to 'actuate,.a.ram (not'gishownl' slidable be within the ra n casing. The erahkshaft llfdrins driven member which is. rotated intermittently at predetermined andfvariablefl time, intervals;

The drivin member-"for the erankshaftis shown" as a gear 12 supported on the Icrankshaft'and r0 ftated in .the direction of. the. arrow bymeans of a pinion 14'. which is driven by any suitabIesOurce of'power. The gear andfpinion aga e-renew e'n- L closed in a housing 15 provided with a removable .anism'which will serve tolactuate ladriven memoover plate 16- nectedto the gear 12 at'interv'alsl provide a suitable clutch m'eehaniem whichin the preferred .for n comprises a clutch block 13' keyed to the l .Icrankshaft in a pesmon laterally, adjacent-to the b *gear and slidably' supporting aclutch belt 191" ifThe igi 'g'ear 12 s formed with a recess. 20' in the; side to- ,wardthe clutch block, ahdfthe slidable belt '19 is ilrged toward the recess" hyjmeansof a spring 22 i'sup'po rtedby a bracket 23"on thefclntchblock. A I.1.hardened plug-24 is preferably inserted in the gear 'at one'end ofthereoess] 20 to'fo'rm a drivingshoiil .jder Yfo'rcont'act with the bolt 19. Thenclutchbo'lt r I 3 I {.is f orined. with agtransverse groove .26 shap'edto ltisafurther' objectef theinventionto provide 1 receive 'qnefend :of. a horizontallever 27 the 1 other bracket 28 by rneans of 'a' horizontal pin30. The

.-end of the lever adjacent to the clutohbolt. 19 is I v 7 'fpos'itionedwithin .anlannulai' groove 31 ,in' the .lapparenttolthoeeskilled in thelart, the invention b1ock"18 and is formed with abeve'ledlor wedge d5 n thei c olnbinationgof par-ts set.jorthin l shapedsurface gawhich engages one'side of the., ,5

groove 26 in the bolt 19. These parts are so constructed and arranged that if the lever 27 is lifted slightly to release the clutch bolt 19, the spring 22 will force the clutch bolt toward the gear 12, which is continuously rotating. When the recess 20 reaches a position opposite to the clutch bolt, the latter will enter the recess, thus engaging the clutch and causing the clutch block 18 and crankshaft 11 to rotate. If now the lever 27 is loweredto its formerposition, the parts will conurinate rotater' mtihrthe'clutch bolt 19 strikes the beveled1surface 32, whereupon the bolt will be withdrawnagainst theforce of spring 22 and the rotatioii of the' crankshaft will cease.

In order t o lift' the lever 27'automatically at predetermined intervals and thus cause intermittent rotation'of the crankshaft 11, I provide a timing mechanism which is preferably actuated from the continuously rotating gear 12. The preferred construction illustrated comprises 'an abutment 34, shown as a roller supported on a screw 35 threaded into the gear 12. A dog 36 is located in the path of the roller 34, and arranged to be struck by the roller at each rotation of the gear. This dog 36 is supported by a shaft 38 parallel to the crankshaft 11 and mounted in a pair of spaced bearings 39 formed on the bracket 28. A, tension spring 40 extends between the casing 15 and an arm 42 keyed to the shaft 38. With this arrangement, theroller 34 will strike thedog 36 at each rotation of the gear and turn the shaft 38' in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 1. As soon as the roller leaves the dog, the spring 40 will turn the shaft back to its original position. Clockwise movement of the shaft is limited by a lug 43 on the arm 42 and a cooperating stop 44 on the bracket'28 (Fig. 1).

There is a possibility'that a careless operator 1 mount the dog 36 on a hub 46 which is keyed to the shaft. The dog and hub are formed with cooperating lugs47 and 48 (Fig. 7) which are normally held in contact by a spring 50 connectthe shaft 38 between the bearings 39.

ing the shaftwith the dog. With this construction, if the gear .12 is incorrectly rotated, the roller 34 will simply swing the dog 36 about the "hub 46 against the force of ,the spring 50, and no damage will result.

The "oscillating movement of the shaft 38 in normal operation is utilized to produce uni-directicnal intermittent rotation of a cam 52 which, in the embodiment illustrated, is supported on I This cam 52 is formed with a tooth 53 projecting outwardly from its periphery, and the lever 27 is preferably provided with a downwardly projecting tooth 54 which lies in the path of the tooth 53, the arrangement being such that the tooth 53 will strike the tooth 54 at each, rotation of the cam 52, thus lifting the lever 27 and causing the clutch bolt 19 to slide into engagement with the gear 12. The teeth 53 and 54, are shown with sharp outer corners, so that only a slight angular movement of the cam 52 is necessary to carry the tooth 53 out of contact with the tooth 54 and allow the lever 27 to drop back to its original position;

The cam 52 is driven from the shaft 38 through the medium of a ratchet mechanism which is preferably of the rotary friction type. The ratchet mechanism illustrated is of the type known commercially as the Pitter Clutch, and comprises a central hub 56 keyed to the shaft 38 adjacent to the cam 52, an outer ring 57 surrounding the hub, and a pair of side plates 58 fastened to the ring 57 by means of bolts 60. The heads of the bolts 60 extend into openings in the cam 52, as shown in Fig. 3, and form a driving means for the cam. Three frictionshoes 61 are mounted incontact with the inside of the ring 57, and struts 62 (Fig. 6) connect the shoes 61 with the hub 56. Springs 63 are located between the shoes, 61 and radial lugs 64 on the hub. When the shaft 38 and hub 56 are turned in a counterclockwise direction, the struts 62 cause the shoes 61 to bind between the ring 57.and shoulders 65 tion, the struts release their pressure on the shoes, which then slide relative to the ring. Reverse movement of the ring 57 is prevented by a small roller 66 (Fig. 1) which is wedged between the outer surface of the ring and avertical surface 67 on the bracket 28. The springs 63 prevent any slack or lost motion in the ratchet mechanism. g

With the construction as so far described, the cam 52 will be advanced through afixed angular distance at each revolution of the gear 12, giving a fixed time interval between successive clutch engagements. It is desirable thatmeans be provided' for varying this time intervaLand for this purpose I utilize an adjustable stop which limits the clockwise movement of the shaft 38 and thus controls the angular'movement of the shaft. In the drawings I have shown a stop 69having a cylindrical stem 70 and located in the path of an abutment 71 formed integral with the arm 42 on the shaft 38. The stem 70 is rotatably supported in the cover plate 16 in direct axial alignment with the shaft38. An arm 73 is keyedto the stem 70 on the outside of the cover plate, and this arm is provided with an opening 74 which may be placed opposite any one of aseries of spaced holes 75 formed in the'cover, plate and arranged in a circular are having its center on the axis of the stem 70. A pin 77 may be passed through the opening 74 into a selected one of the holes 75 to lock the arm 73 in place. The opening 74 is preferably shaped as a keyhole,'and the pin 77 is provided with a laterally projecting'lug 78 which can only be passed through the opening 74 when the pin is turned to the correct position. The pin 77 is'formed with a knurled head 79, and

a washer 81 and spring 83 are mounted on the pin between the lug 78 and head 79. This spring provides sufficient friction to hold the pin in place after it has been inserted and then turned slightly with the lug 78 in the rear of the arm 73. A flexible chain 83 connects the arm 73 to the pin 77 to prevent accidental loss thereof. 73 is provided with apointer 85 which,in conjunction with markings 86 on the cover plate, serves to indicate the position of adjustment of the mechanism.

In many installations it is desirable to provide for an automatic as well as a manualadjustment of the stop 69. For this purpose I utilize an arm 88 which is rotatably supported onthe outer end an opening 96 similar to the opening 74, and ar- The arm A second arm 92 is'integral If the rate of fuel feed is to be controlled auranged to be placed opposite any one of a series of spaced holes 97 formed inthe arm 73 and arranged in a'circular are having its center on the axis of the stem 70. By inserting the pin' 7'7 through the opening 96 and into one of the holes 97, it is possible to connect the arm 73 with the automatic regulator 94', and the relative positions of these parts can be varied as desired.

At times it is desirable/to operate the crank-1 shaft 11 continuously for a short period, so that a large quantity of fuel may be delivered to the furnace quickly in preparing the" fire for banking. 'Forthis purpose I provide a manually operable device for lifting the clutch release lever 27. This device comprises a handle 93 and a hook 99 extending downwardly from. the handle and beneath the lever 27. The hook 99 is slidable vertically through the casing 15. It will be noted that this device is independent of the timing claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters mechanism which normally lifts the lever 27 at predetermined intervals and assoonas the handle 98'is released the lever 27 will drop back to its original position and the timing mechanism will once more assume control ofthe fuel feed. In the meantime the adjustment of the stop 69 has remained undisturbed.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent'from the above disclosure. 14 and thegear 12 are rotated continuously, by any suitablesource of power, such as an electric motor, and at each rotation of the gear the roller 34 will strike the dog 36 and turn the shaft 38 in a counterclockwise direction against the force of the spring 40. As soon as, the roller moves out of contact with the dog, the spring 40 will return the shaft and dog to their original positions,

which are determined by the adjustment of the stop 69 in the path of the abutment '71. The extent of oscillation of the shaft is controlled by the 'stop 69. When the shaft 38 is turnedin a counterclockwise direction, the friction shoes 61 will grip the ring 57 and thus advance the cam 52. During the reverse movement of the shaft, the shoes are released and the ring '57 and cam 52 are held stationary by the roller 66. After a predetermined time interval the tooth 53 on the cam will strike the tooth 54 on the lever 27, lift-.

-'ing the lever momentarilyand releasing. the

' its revolution and-the clutch bo1t'19 moves from beneath the lever 27, the latter will .drop back into the groove 31, and when therevolution is completed the clutch bolt will strike the beveled end 32 of the lever. This will withdraw the clutch bolt and stop the movement of the crankshaft.

. reliable.

The pinion tomatically, the pin 77 will be inserted through of the stop with respect to the regulator to give 3 the best results. In case amanual controlis de-, sired, the pin,7'7 can be-inserted through the opening '74 and into one of the holes '75. Inthis way the stop 69 can be locked in any desired position. Regardless of the adjustment of the stop, it is always possible to cause continuous rotation of the crankshaft simply by holding up'the handle 98 manually, thereby maintaining the clutch bolt 19 in continuous engagement with the gear 12. The entire construction is simple, inexpensive, and

Having thus described my inventionfwhat Patent is:

be actuated, a rotatable cam to actuate the de-:

vice, a ratchet mechanism arranged to advance the cam through successive steps, an adjustable device to vary the length of said steps, an automatically actuated member, a stationary member, and means to connect the adjustable device either to the automatically actuated member or to the stationary member.

2. A timing mechanism comprisinga device to be actuated, a rotatable cam toactuate the device, a ratchet mechanism arranged to advance,

the cam through successive steps, an adjustable device to vary the length of said steps, an automatically actuated member, a stationary mem-..

her, and manually operable means to connect the adjustable device either to the automatically ac-' tuated member or to the stationary member.

3. A timing mechanism comprising a device to be actuated, a rotatable cam toactuate the device, a ratchet mechanism arranged to advance the cam through successive, steps, an adjustable device to vary the length of said steps an automatically actuated-member, a stationary member, and manually operable means wherebythe 7 adjustable device may be connected either to the automatically actuated member or to the statio n' ary member but not to both at the same time.

. 4. A timing mechanism comprising a device'to be actuated,a rotatable camto actuate the. de-,- vice, a ratchet mechanism arranged to advance the cam through successiveste'ps, anadjustable device to vary the length of said steps, an automatically actuated member, a stationary member,

and manually operable means to connect the ad- Ijustable device either to the automatically actuated memberin any oneof several relative positions or to the stationary member inany one of several relative positions.

'JAMES W. ARMOUR. 

